Downtown park getting new equipment this summer
RED OAK — With talk of new playground equipment and a shelter house, Fountain Square Park will be getting a facelift in the not-too-distant future.
The Red Oak Park and Tree Board has yet to finalize plans, but board chair Bill Drey said new equipment will be in place at some point this summer thanks to a $10,000 Montgomery County Community Foundation grant that expires July 1.
The board also received $50,000 from the Iowa West Foundation to go toward park improvements downtown.
The city-appointed Downtown Steering Committee outlined plans for the park in its Downtown Master Plan, but exact decisions are at the discretion of the park board.
City Administrator Brad Wright said the master plan includes multiple phases that will be completed as funding becomes available. The playground aspect will be the first on the list.
“This was kind of up to the downtown group,” Drey said about the plans for Fountain Square Park improvements. “It falls under the park board’s jurisdiction though, so it was up to us to make it happen.”
To make it happen, Drey said the gazebo downtown will be moved to College Park in the coming weeks, and the play ground equipment and shelter house will go in its place on the southeast corner of the park. Although, the shelter house may not be completed this year due to funding, Drey said.
The northeast corner of the park, where the current playground equipment stands, will eventually house updated monuments and possibly a Freedom Rock, according to Wright.
Current playground equipment, which Drey said is still in a decent, useable shape, will be transferred to Legion Park.
Aside from updating the monuments, plans for Fountain Square Park also include constructing a new bandstand with a roof. Wright said it will be built closer to the corner to use for events within the park and on the street, like parades.
“The goal of the entire master plan has always been to enhance the downtown and make it a place the community and visitors can enjoy,” Wright said.
While the park board is busy with the major upcoming work downtown, Drey said plans are in place for other improvements in Red Oak’s parks.
The shelter house in Legion Park will be getting a new roof late this summer, thanks to a $5,000 community foundation grant.
Dutton Park will also be getting some new playground equipment.
At Chautauqua Park, water will soon be available at the baseball field, and a roof will be installed over the fountain near the water tower to make it usable again. Also, LED lights on a timer switch will be added to the pavilion.
The park board also received a $4,500 Trees for Kids grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to plant 44 trees throughout Red Oak parks. Drey said 150 youths are needed to help plant the trees in early May.